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| Edited By: Shaheen Irani |Source: DNA webdesk |Updated: Oct 02, 2020, 08:20 PM IST
Cast: R Madhavan, Anushka Shetty, Anjali, Shalini Pandey, Subbaraju, Michael Madsen, Olivia Dunkley
Director: Hemant Madhukar
Duration: 125 minutes
Stars: 1.5/5
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video
After a couple dies in a house under mysterious circumstances, the place is decalred as a haunted house. Eons later, a much-in-love couple comes to the palace in search of a painting, which is part of the room where the couple died years before them. What are the mysteries of the haunted house, and the couple, is what makes the rest of the story.
'Nishabdham' (Telugu), 'Silence' (Tamil) is a movie which flows in various directions. If at one point it scares you, it would make your heart flutter in the next moment, and make you want to get up and leave just some more time into it. The director Hemant Madhukar seems to have no clue about how he wanted to take the movie forward, or put forth a complete story about the 'haunted house'.
What irked me the most was him placing characters that constantly took a dig at women, undermined them and mocked them at more than one occasion. Even if arguably he was trying to show a real-life scenario where a man shames a woman (which ideally should not have been the case), it comes at a wrong time and placement. For example, rather than wondering, a man mocks Anushka Shetty for playing a cello despite being deaf and mute. I think that was completely uncalled for.
It is also hilarious to see that the police (played by Anjali and Madsen) could put together clues which led them nowhere but failed to find clues in the very basic and obvious ones. There were two different directions in which the movie could go if the clues had come forth - either the innocent would have been put under interrogation, or the film would have ended early. It looks like neither the writer Mani Seiyon nor Madhukar wanted that to happen, so they let the clues pass, even when it was actually in-your-face, right in the next scene.
Even if the film has numerous loopholes, one thing I cannot complain about, is R Madhavan and even more than him, Anushka Shetty's acting. She shines her way despite all the hurdles put her way, and some times (actually most of the times) rises above men. Her growth in the Telugu film industry, with the kind of characters she has been portraying, is commendable in itself. After 'Bhaagamathie', Anushka leads the way even in 'Nishabdham'. Unfortunately, the movie is not as much worth your time as her acting.
Subbaraju and Shalini Pandey, who could be counted as second leads, also play their parts well. All the actors carry all kinds of shades in the movie and I'm sure some of them could even come as a surprise to many. Misunderstanding a character is easy, as shown in the film too, but they tend to shine out unlike others.
The film is filled with a foreign cast for some reason. While the couple in the beginning of the film were foreigners, one of the pivotal characters is also played by Michael Madsen. It is but a shame to see how the actor had very little scope in the character given to him. Madsen tries hard in many scenes and succeeds in a few. He also tries to look cool while constantly using abusive language, but is totally the opposite of that. On top of it, every time he uses the 'F' word it looks nothing but forced. I really want to know, was Madhukar trying to stereotype foreigners and say that all they do is use f**k in every sentence they speak? The movie definitely hinted at that.
'Nishabdham' and 'Silence' both have two songs throughout the film, which could have been avoided, but because they match the situation, one could let it pass. The songs try to be soothing but are more of a distraction from the real plot. However, it is easier to convey love through the lyrics of a song, and the director took cues from that.
His laziness, though, has turned the project into something that people might not want to invest their time on.
If you are a die-hard fan of either R Madhavan or Anushka Shetty, then you could bear through 'Nishabdham'. Have patience though, because they really shine when death comes close. We would rather suggest you to go back and watch 'Bhagamathie' and 'Vikram Vedha'. You will not be as disappointed then.
